Tin is a metal that is often used in fabrication of semiconductor devices (e.g., in solder bumps). Tin and its alloys (e.g., tin-silver) can be deposited by electrodeposition on a partially fabricated semiconductor device using an electrolyte containing Sn2+ ions, and, typically, an acid. Tin, however, is often contaminated with elements that emit alpha particles that are detrimental to the function of semiconductor devices. Specifically, alpha particles are known to cause so-called “soft errors” in data storage devices. Therefore, a special grade and type of tin electrolyte, an electrolyte that contains very low amount of alpha particle emitters, should be used for electroplating tin in semiconductor devices. This electrolyte is referred to as low alpha tin electrolyte. The specification for “low alpha tin”, as used herein, refers to tin having an alpha emission rate of less than 0.002 counts (alpha disintegrations) per hour per square centimeter. The alpha emission rate is typically measured from a metallic tin layer that has been plated from low alpha tin electrolyte. While such electrolyte is commercially available, it is extremely expensive. Tin metal (referring to tin in zero oxidation state) is also available in low alpha tin form, purified from a mixture of various alpha emitting isotopes and aged to ensure that residual radioactive isotopes have followed their decay paths and have finished their fission processes. The metallic low alpha tin is significantly less expensive than low alpha tin electrolyte. The high cost of low alpha tin electrolyte is due to the significant cost of manufacturing, certification, packaging and shipping from the place of origin to the place of use of the acidic hazardous liquid electrolyte, which is added to the moderately high cost of low alpha tin raw material that is used to manufacture the electrolyte. Commercial low alpha tin metal is 4 to 20 times less expensive than the tin in the electrolyte product, on a metal content basis, after shipping costs are taken into account.